hollywood billionaire

Chapter 401: A complex and subtle relationship between best friends

"I……"

When Madison heard Taylor Swift's question, she was stunned and her eyes subconsciously drifted towards Han Yi's direction.

After receiving the latter's encouraging response, she breathed a sigh of relief and nodded in response.

"I have been cyberbullied, yes, so I know how it feels, and that's why..."

"You voiced your support on Instagram."

Seeing Madison's eyes suddenly widen, Taylor responded to her with a kind and sweet smile.

"I never publicized this matter." Madison hastily added in defense.

"I know. I can tell which posts are PR tactics and which ones are genuine. Only two or three tabloids made a fuss about your statement. When the big media listed the artists who spoke out in support of me, they often only put you in a less prominent position or even ignored you. Just from these two points, I can tell that you are not trying to take advantage of the attention of this matter."

Taylor spoke softly, and covered Madison's left arm with his right hand, signaling that the other party should be at ease.

"There is no other reason why I can see your post, it's simply because I am severely addicted to the Internet... Of course, I have almost recovered in the past few months." Taylor said self-deprecatingly with a rather open-minded attitude, "It is really refreshing not only because I see a voice that supports me, but also because I see a girl who has the same painful experience... Those are the views that I can empathize with the most. No kidding, I read your post over and over again, and now I can even recite it word for word."

"Really?"

"'I've been following this drama online for a while now and it's gotten to the point where I can't keep silent any longer.'"

Faced with Madison Beer's questions full of curiosity and surprise, Taylor Swift opened her mouth to answer.

"'Let's face it. Cyberbullying is unacceptable. This is not a joke, it's not entertainment, it's outright persecution. To degrade and distort a self-respecting, self-loving, and self-reliant woman into a villain who can be summed up by an emoji is the simplest and most brutal way of executing someone in this world.

Imagine having your character constantly denigrated, your reputation tarnished, your every move put under a microscope. It's exhausting, it's heartbreaking... and it's just plain wrong.

I saw a strong woman who showed nothing but grace and resilience in the midst of all this chaos. She didn't react with anger, but rose above it all. And you know what? It takes strength, real strength, to do that. I've been in similar situations, and I know how hard it is.

So before you jump on this hate train, think about the pain your words may cause to the recipient of it. Remember, behind all the fame and headlines, is a living, breathing human being with feelings.'”

"Wow." Maddie swallowed subconsciously, "You can really memorize it."

“Uh-huh.” Taylor nodded with a smile. “This is one of the most powerful and inspiring Instagram Stories I’ve ever read.”

"It's just that I... read the news late at night and couldn't fall asleep, and I was just writing this." Madison licked his lips, and hesitated. After a long while, he organized his words that he felt were appropriate. "I deliberately didn't mention any names, not because I was afraid of the consequences, but because..."

"You don't want others to think you're taking advantage of this situation. I understand. You don't need to explain, McGrady. I have no other thoughts, I just want to tell you - thank you very much for standing up and supporting me in such a difficult situation." Taylor's right hand slid all the way down and naturally held the other's hand. "Don't think I didn't check your comment section to see which way the wind was blowing... That battlefield was just too cruel."

"It's always been like this... I'm used to it now."

Madison squeezed Taylor's palm with the tip of her thumb and gave her a nonchalant smile in return.

McGrady posted on July 2016, 7, when Taylor Swift's social media account was flooded by snakes and the cyberbullies were at their most aggressive. The post received a flood of negative comments. There were only 20 likes, but an astonishing 98340 comments. Except for a few loyal fans who took the lead in grabbing the top posts regardless of the content of the post, the rest of the comment area was basically flushed green.

"Look, we found another snake."

"Go to hell."

"Does Taylor even know you exist?"

"A clown who wants to become a Kardashian by being scolded by the Kardashians."

"Everyone, this is a perfect example of 'pretty girls have no brains', take notes quickly."

Some are sarcastic, some are vicious, and some have a bit of comedy talk show-style ridicule. This is the first time that Madison Beer has experienced such a crowd attack since signing with Han Music and her single became a hit.

"All I can say is that there were some new memes and words in 2016, but they were essentially no different than what I saw in 2012," Madison shrugged nonchalantly. "It's nothing I haven't seen, and nothing I can't handle."

"2012... What year were you born?"

"1999."

"So you were only... 13 years old?"

"Yes."

"Aw, come here." Taylor took a step forward, opened his arms, and hugged Madison with a distressed look on his face. "You look young, but I didn't expect you to be so young. God, I really can't imagine how such a young girl endured those attacks and how she spent those long nights."

"Nighttime is always the hardest, isn't it?" Madison was acutely aware of Taylor's sympathy, which came from her own experience. "How have you been? In the past few months?"

"Well, you know... like you said, the nights are the hardest, especially the first few nights. No one will stay by your bed and talk to you..."

"Even if someone wants to stay by your side and comfort you, you don't have the energy to respond to them." Madison helped Taylor finish the second half of the sentence she was about to say.

"Absolutely!" Empathy and resonance gradually strengthened and deepened in each precise collision. Taylor's electric blue pupils became brighter than when he first saw Madison. "You locked them out for their own good. This way, innocent people don't have to be caught up in your emotional storm." "During that time, my mother couldn't see me for several days. She could only confirm that I was still alive through my phone."

"I also hope that my mother and other people in the team can be as reasonable as your mother." At this point, Taylor Swift raised her eyelids and thought for a while, "The word reasonable may not be appropriate, and they don't want to bother me, but... In addition to this matter, there are many other troubles in life that need to be dealt with urgently."

"There's no need to go into detail if you don't want to."

"Oh, don't worry, it's not a secret that the public doesn't know." Taylor waved his hand and smiled, "I have to deal with a very serious lawsuit. I have to find a way to deal with the relationship between Tom and me, whether it is our real relationship in private or the relationship that the public sees, because my reputation has seriously affected him... Some people even say that I deliberately let Tom out as my shield. In addition, in this year's election, because I did not publicly support a certain candidate, his supporters also joined the team to smear me... These alternative right-wingers are very angry that I failed to become their 'Aryan Princess'. This puddle of water is even muddier, and I have to handle it more carefully."

At this point, Taylor Swift shifted her gaze away from Madison and looked at Karlie Kloss, who was leaning against her right shoulder.

"Sorry, guys, you know we've discussed this thousands of times, and I just don't want to get involved in the political game."

"We fully understand that this is not the situation I want to see."

Joshua Kushner raised his hands and smiled gently. He knew very well that although Taylor Swift was talking to Karlie Kloss on the surface, he was the one who needed to stand up and respond. After all, it was precisely because of his special family background, his high-profile relationship with Karlie, and Karlie's close relationship with Taylor that Taylor was given unrealistic expectations by right-wing voters.

"Like you said, we've discussed this before, so it should be clear to you - I'm not part of that gang. I don't share their political views. Or most of them, anyway."

When saying this, Joshua Kushner's eyes just quickly passed over Taylor Swift. Most of the time, they stayed on the five people on the opposite side of the conversation circle, especially Han Yi's face, observing the changes in each other's expressions.

"She's been through a lot this year and has a lot of trouble to deal with... That's why, as a bestie, I have to do my best to pull her out of her troubles. Even if it's just for a short while, it's a chance to breathe." Carly silently assessed the atmosphere and situation on the scene, then put on a sweet smile, replaced it with a doting look, and hugged Taylor tighter. "I flew all the way to Nashville and begged her to go back to New York with me. There are more things happening there, and there are more things to distract her, so she can't lock herself in the bedroom and be idle alone."

"Yes, in the past few months, the person I need to thank the most is Carly." Taylor Swift glanced at Carly with a smile, "My New York apartment will take about a year to renovate, so this time when I went back, I rented a new one right next to her and Joshua's house... Next time you come to New York, you must come and sit at my place. It's on a back street in Tribeca, quiet, hidden, and full of artistic atmosphere. Maddie, especially you, I hope to see you in front of the piano keyboard in my house soon."

"You must also come and see where Josh and I live." Before Madison could answer, Carly took the lead and invited everyone in a more enthusiastic tone, "Tyler and I live on the same street, no more than half a mile apart. Everyone must come, I will make you my best grilled salmon, Taylor loves it."

Hearing Carly's continuous rebuttals, Han Yi subconsciously looked up at Barbara and found that she was also looking at him and blinking twice quickly.

This is a signal that only the two of them can understand.

During their last stay in Nice, Barbara and Han Yi talked a lot. In addition to the former's wonderful encounter with Madame Bettencourt, there were also some insignificant and trivial details in their lives, including Barbara's non-malicious and fair evaluation of Taylor and Carly, their group of best friends.

In the eyes of the shrewd Barbara Palvin, Karlie Kloss is the more active one in this relationship, the one who benefits more, and the one who has more ulterior motives.

Everything that happened at the festival today proved Barbara's point beyond a doubt.

Karlie Kloss called Taylor Swift late at night and invited her to Las Vegas. She wanted to send a signal of cooperation to Han Yi, let him see the powerful help that the Kushners could provide him in his career in the future, and then consolidate the cooperation case of Musical.ly and turn verbal intention into a steel alliance. After Karlie heard Taylor pointed out in front of outsiders that the influence of the Kushner family had excessively penetrated into the latter's life and expressed her dissatisfaction in a subtle but not so subtle way, she quickly changed the subject and brought up the point that she invited Taylor to return to New York, so that everyone could further realize her close relationship with Taylor.

When Carly saw that Taylor quickly developed a strong resonance with Madison, whom she had just met, because of similar experiences, and even had the intention of skipping her direct contact, she hurriedly asked "the other four people who were not specifically invited by Taylor" to "go to where she and Josh live" and she would host the dinner as the hostess.

Karlie Kloss's complex and subtle feelings for Taylor Swift are vividly revealed in every line of this conversation.

No one can doubt that there is a sincere friendship between the two of them, with mutual support and confiding in each other, but behind the sincerity, Carly's desire for control and ambition are obvious. As for Taylor, it is not necessarily naive and stupid, and she cannot see that her bestie has other intentions, but she feels that the things that the other party intends to get involved in, or the goals that she wants to achieve by using her are harmless and will not affect her own career and core interests. To exaggerate a little, Taylor even enjoys the feeling of being able to form a close-knit small group and gradually control various fields under her leadership, so she tacitly allows Carly and other members of the bestie group to take advantage of her and frequently appear on the front pages of major media.

But after Kanye West's unexpected attack, Han Yi could clearly feel that Taylor Swift, like a frightened bird, had lost her original trust and patience with everyone around her except her family. Joshua Kushner's sensitive political identity added another trouble to her at this critical moment, which made Taylor feel very angry. And Karlie Kloss knew too many of her unknown secrets, which made Taylor gradually feel wary and resentful of Karlie who was still using her.

This led Taylor to be even more willing to get close to Madison, whom she had never met, because the latter's experience of being bullied by the entire Internet for all kinds of so-called "scandals" that were made out of nothing, as well as the fact that she had little contact with the former in the past, made her feel more secure.

An unimaginable crisis changes not a person's material circumstances but her spiritual state.

Kanye West and Kim Kardashian, these two unreasonable black swans, may really be able to help Han Yi accomplish certain things earlier.

Very interesting situation.

How can we take advantage of this?

"I can't really leave my girl alone, I really can."

Just when Han Yi was distracted thinking, Carly's showing off of her best friend's friendship had progressed to the next stage.

"In fact, the night before Josh and I met up to come to Mad City, Tyler and I had just stayed up all night at Drake's birthday party."

"I saw the Instagram you posted." Barbara nodded and smiled to support Carly.

"Yeah, that night was fun." Carly raised her voice and responded, "That night I wanted to ask her if she wanted to come to Las Vegas with me and Kara, but I thought...well, some people would be here, so I didn't say it. But after attending the music festival yesterday, I felt that this kind of energy and joy was exactly what Taylor needed, so I called her overnight and asked her to come. Besides, facing fear can defeat fear, right? Dare to show up in front of bullies and let them see that you are doing well."

"It doesn't matter. I haven't taken them seriously for a long time."

Taylor Swift took another long look at Karlie Kloss and opened her mouth to give a different reason.

"Actually, I just wanted to come and thank McGrady in person for his support..."

"And of course, enjoying the atmosphere of what they call 'the best music festival in the United States' and cheering on my best friends."

"For example, this friend standing on the stage right now - Ellie."

(End of this chapter)